THE ATENEO Blue Eagles fell short against the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons in straight sets, 12-21, 16-21, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 84 Men’s Beach Volleyball Tournament.

The straight-set loss eliminated the Blue Eagles from Final Four contention, putting Ateneo at fifth in the standings with a 3-3 record.

Unable to bounce back from their elimination round matchup, the Blue Eagles struggled to take control of the game due in part to their unforced errors. UP’s Dan Nicolas and Louis Gamban overpowered Ateneo’s Abai Llenos and Amil Pacinio with a variety of shots and managed to secure the first set for Diliman, 12-21. Building on with their momentum, the Fighting Maroons continued to overpower the Blue and White with their offensive strategies to conclude the match, 16-21.

The Blue Eagles’ efforts off mini-runs were not enough to clinch them the fourth seed spot, with their Katipunan rivals responding immediately to their impressive attacks and closing the match in straight sets.

Despite bowing out of Final Four contention, the Blue Eagles UAAP Season 84 3-3 performance is a marked improvement from their campaign in UAAP Season 82, where they finished winless.